Chopped Salad with Tehina Zaatar Recipe

My favorite Chopped Salad is based on the classic Israeli Salad

I enrich with lots of good herbs, and dress it with a terrific Tehina Zaatar Dressing. More chopping than I like to do, but the good news is, my chopped salad can be easily elevated to main course status.

This chopped salad recipe is quite elastic

But here are some pointers if you are trying to make it in advance:

• Do not use any fragile salad greens (romaine, Boston lettuce) until serving time.
• Add the tomatoes and avocados just before serving.
  As long as the pre-made salad does not include salad greens, avocados or tomatoes, it is perfectly all right to make it and even dress it a few hours before serving.

Here is what I like to use in my chopped salad.

Start with this, no specific amounts necessary, then scroll down to see how you can take it places if you want to make a main course out of it.

Diced radishes, seedless cucumbers, red onions, red peppers, sliced green or black pitted olives. Minced parsley, basil, cilantro, dill, mint (select 1-2 herbs). Dice tomatoes and avocados, and (optional) sliced romaine hearts or baby kale just before serving.

Dressing: 

Olive oil , fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper will be perfect. Even more interesting are: Pure tehina paste mixed with warm water (I would say 1 part tehina for 2 parts water) until smooth, fresh lemon juice, zaatar, salt and pepper to taste.

Chopped salad as main course?

You bet! Here’s your chance to throw in whatever interesting leftovers you might have handy. Throw in a choice of:

• Small dice Feta or Haloumi cheese (in this case no added salt) for a dairy salad
• Cooked (good quality canned OK) chickpeas
• Sliced seared tuna slices, or canned tuna or sardines
• Diced cooked chicken or smoked chicken
• Sliced seared steak